Ashes to Ashes (1999 film)

In an interview, director Wayne Gerard Trotman admitted that Ashes to Ashes was a tribute to the raw style of 1970s blaxploitation, gangster and martial arts movies. There are clear references to popular personalities of the era such as Bruce Lee and Muhammad Ali. The film was clearly produced on a low budget and this may have been deliberately emphasised with old fashioned sound effects and extreme close up shots of fighters screaming. The fight scenes are not the slick wire-enhanced set pieces so commonplace in contemporary martial arts films but are down and dirty. There are no flashy techniques just quick, effective street fighting reminiscent of Bruce Lee's The Big Boss, Fist of Fury and Way of the Dragon. Other examples of references to 60s and 70s films and television include:

• the character Leo, who sports an afro hairstyle similar to that of Jim Kelly in Enter the Dragon and Black Belt Jones
• a sexual encounter inspired by a scene in Little Big Man where Faye Dunaway is particularly vocal
• references to The Drunken Master, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock
• a line inspired by Bonnie and Clyde: "My name is Muhammed Armen, my associate is Mr. Kong, we kill people."
• the use of percussion and drumrolls in the soundtrack evocative of Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury

The dangers of unprotected sex are mentioned during a conversation between Michael and Gabriel where it is revealed that one of their escort colleagues has been diagnosed as having AIDS. Gabriel suggests that Michael's sexual activities with his clients are similar to a game of Russian roulette and Michael reacts adding that he never goes "diving without a rubber suit" - a reference to condoms. The character Michael Trent is particularly sexist. He warns Gabriel to "Never trust a woman" and suggests that all women are deceitful and generally views his female clients with contempt. This contempt is made quite apparent during sex with the banker's wife Felicity. Michael blindfolds her and can barely contain his laughter as he uses a vibrator on her. Later Michael is seen listening to a recording of his exploits in bed with Felicity and laughing uncontrollably. The Chinese gangster Nelson, suggests that a woman was used to poison Bruce Lee as this was the only way he could be killed. Valentino Tarantola treats Arabella as no more than a sex object. Having knocked her unconscious he is seen unzipping his trousers presumably as a prelude to having non-consensual sex. Valentino's brother Enrico, is similarly contemptuous to both Arabella and Felicity.

Ashes to Ashes features a cosmopolitan cast and the story involves a certain degree of racial tension between the diverse cultures to be found in London. For instance even though Nelson (Asian) and Muhammed (Black) are partners in crime, both are quite willing to make comments which the other may find offensive. Nelson mentions "Big hamburger eating Americans" going to Vietnam and being beaten by Vietnamese grandfathers. Muhammed responds by suggesting that the Vietnamese didn't have to deal with the likes of Muhammad Ali, Frazier and Foreman (all Black American boxers) a provocative suggestion of a belief in the superior physical prowess of Black men over both Asian and White men. Nelson gives no quarter claiming that Chinese martial artists would use "qi" (pronounced "chi" a reference to qigong) to defeat their bigger Black opponents. He also refers to Muhammed as "Black bean". Muhammed on the other hand makes a reference to Nelson's "Little yellow arse".

While being tortured by the "Laundrymen" including Raymond Kong, Nelson's younger brother, Boss Cheng accuses Raymond in Cantonese of betraying his own people (the Chinese) to serve the "round eyes". When approached by an Italian gangster speaking Italian and broken English after stumbling into a Mafia boss’s Mercedes-Benz, a drunk Cockney lad abusively states "You foreigners, you come to this country and you don't speak English." He is immediately set upon and soundly beaten. In an interview, the director Trotman claims that this scene was inspired by something that he actually witnessed on a London Underground train platform. A drunk White male approached two female Japanese tourists who claimed not to understand what he was saying. The drunk responded by swearing at the tourists and making a remark similar to the one used in the film. Trotman claims to have been incensed by what he saw which not only had an element of racism but also displayed the arrogance that some English speakers have. He says what was very likely is that the Japanese tourists pretended not to be able to speak any English in the hope that the drunk man would just go away and leave them alone. This contempt towards other language speakers is further illustrated by Michael's question "What sort of bad people… people who don't speak English?"

The character Gabriel, played by Wayne Gerard Trotman claims "Violence doesn't bother me". The film involves scenes of electroshock torture, burning, gunplay, fights with baseball bats and sticks and Trotman's character Gabriel uses nunchaku to strangle and knock his opponents senseless. In one scene Muhammed has a telephone conversation with his wife whilst a Mafia boss is being beaten and interrogated. Trotman claims to have gained inspiration from a story of a recording of a casual telephone conversation between Pablo Escobar and his wife discussing family matters whilst screaming could be heard in the background. In an interview he claimed to want to illustrate the contradiction that many violent individuals display.

During a telephone conversation, Muhammed rebukes his 6-year-old son for hitting his younger sister. Meanwhile, in the background, two young men deliver brutal punches to the face of an elderly man. When he speaks to his wife, Muhammed suggests that watching too much Power Rangers may be responsible for his son practising karate on his baby sister and he further adds that the children may be misbehaving in an attempt to stay up late in order to watch Rambo – references to the possible ill effects of violence on young impressionable minds? For one reviewer, this scene and several others constituted padding which he viewed as a major flaw of the film.

Ashes to Ashes is filled with stereotypes. Gabriel represents the ordinary guy reluctantly drawn into a violent and dangerous scenario. Arabella is your typical femme fatale escaping from the abusive Mafia boss who sends his henchmen after her. Nelson is your typical Triad enforcer with his exaggerated hot temper and broken English. In a departure from the clear stereotypes Muhammed is seen reading The Daily Telegraph, a popular British newspaper considered to lean to the right of the political arena.